Improvement in letter or mote sheet envelopes



. L; H. ROGERS. Letter or Note Sheet Envelope.

No. 211.110. 1 Patented Jan. 7,1879.

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N. PETERS. FHDTOLITHOGRAPRER, WASHINGTON- DC.

LEBBEUS H. ROGERS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

EMPROVEMENT IN LETTER OR NOTE SHEET ENVELOPES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 2EL1H0, dated January'7, 1879; application filed January 22, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEBBEUS H. ROGERS, of New York city, county, andState, have invented a new and and useful Improvement in Letter or NoteSheet Envelopes, which improvements are fully set forth in the followingspecification.

In an application for Letters Patent of the United States of even dateherewith I have described and shown, and claimed as my improvement, acertain construction of a combined letter-sheet envelope, wherebyimportant advantages are obtained in the dispatch of business relativeto the writing, closing, and opening of certain notes or communications,and in the permanency or preservation of the record of date and address,as well as in the economy of paper and of envelopes.

The present improvements have the same objects in view, and embody tosome extent the same principle, but contemplate the accomplishment ofthe same in a different manner and with somewhat different result.

To this end my said invention consists in the following: First, in theconstruction of a letter or note sheet envelope, the same consist ing ofa sheet arranged to be folded on two folding lines like a screen or theletter 2, dividin g the sheet into three equal divisions, so as toinclose the communication when folded, while the address remains for thesuperscription, either or both end divisions being provided withsealing-flaps, as hereinafter shown and described; second, in a letteror note sheet envelope arranged to be folded transversely on two foldinglines, as hereinafter described, and having address, date, and stampindications on'the face of the same, and sealing-flaps on the top andbottom folds, on either or on both, as more fully hereinafter shown andset forth; third, in a letter or note sheet e11- velope arranged to befolded into three parts, as described, so as to inclose thecommunication, while the address remains for the superscription, withsealing-flaps extending around the edges of either or both the top andbottom folds of the sheet, the said sealingflaps being separated fromthe sheet proper by a line of perforations, as hereinafter shown anddescribed; fourth, in a letter or note sheet envelope havingsealing-flaps surrounding the sheet on all sides but the onethird middleportion, substantially as hereinafter shown and set forth; fifth, in aletter or note sheet envelope to be folded into three parts, the upperpart of which has sealing-flaps on opposite sides, while the lower parthas sealing-flaps on three sides thereof; sixth, in a letter or notesheet envelope to be folded into three parts, so as to inclose thecommunication, while the address remains for the superscription, thelower part of which has sealing-flaps on two opposite and the undersides thereof.

To enable others to make and use my said invention, I shall now proceedto describe the more fully described. I shall call the letter sheetenvelope shown in the first three figures A, and the modification in thesecond and third three figures B and O.

The letter-sheet Ais of the ordinary size of note-paper, but it may belarger or smaller, as preferred. The sheet is arranged to be folded intothree equal parts. The folding lines, as well as the manner in which thesheet is to be folded, are indicated in any suitable manner by printedlines or directions, by dotted indentations in the paper, creases, or byprevious folding or otherwise, the general plan of folding being suchthat the top fold shall be with its face on its outside-that is to say,the sheet is to be folded like a screen, so that only the contiguoussides or folds shall come in contact. The letter-sheet thus divided into.three parts or divisions has on its face in the flaps. These areextensions of the sheet of paper, but are separated by a line ofperforations. The sealing-flaps I prefer, for the sake of economy, tomake of the form shown in the drawingthat is, narrow strips of evenwidth throughout their whole lengths.

The mucilage is applied to these strips as follows: either on the backof a a in the upper part or on the face of b bin the lower part, also onthe back of cand face of d. Such being the construction and arrangementof the letter-sheet, its operation or use will be as follows: The letterbeing first addressed in the top part, and the communication written onthe second and third parts, the sheet is then folded according toindications-that is to say, the lower part, D, is folded on line at a,so as to come in contact with the middle part, E. The folded sheet isthen turned over, and the upper part, F, is folded on line m n, so thatits back shall come in contact with back of E. The mucilaged side flapshaving been previously moistened will, on coming in contact with theopposite sealing-flaps, adhere to them, and seal the letter at thesides. The lower end of the letter may then be sealed by moistening thesealing-flap d, and then turning it over on the line of perforations m nupon the face of the part F. The letter is then sealed on top by turningover the sealing-flap 0, after the same shall have been moistened overthe line m n onto the back of the part D.

This last arrangement is important in cases where the face of theletter-sheet is insufficient to hold the entire communication, and whereit is necessary to write on the back of the first or both the first andsecond parts, F and E, of the sheet.

For short notesthat is, where there is no writing on the back of thesheetthe top sealing-flap, 0,may be dispensed with, as shown in themodification B.

The third modification dispenses with the sealing-flaps in the top andmiddle parts altogether, as shown in Fig. 7 but the two side flaps andbottom flap are gummed on the face, and the sheet, when folded'asdescribed with reference to sample A, is sealed by turning the threeflaps upon the line of perforations to adhere to the face of the toppart. The outer corners of the flaps, where they meet, I prefer to cutaway, so as to form a miter-joint when sealed.

The receiver of letter or note sheet envelopes thus made and sealed, toopen the letter sample A, will tear off the sealing-flaps a b,- theninsert his finger in the open side and press it against the lower fold,and thus separate the flap d, which remains on the face of part F. Thesame operationwill open the letter or note sheet envelope sample B.Sample 0 Will be opened by inserting the finger in the open top fold,and pressing it successively against the three closed folds willseparate the three flaps which remain on the face of the upper part ofthe sheet.

In the manufacture of these letter-sheet envelopes advantage may betaken of the fact that the sealing-flaps are omitted on the middle partof the letter, so that several sheets may be cut from a sheet of paperwithout waste by an arrangement of breaking joint, as is well understoodby envelope-manufacturers, and which needs no further description, as itis foreign to the subject-matter of this patent.

Having thus described my said invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. A letter or note sheet envelope, the same consisting of a sheetarranged to be folded on two folding lines like a screen, so as toinclose the communication, while the address remains for the outsidesuperscription, and to bring the sides of the contiguous parts together,dividing the sheet into three equal divisions, either or both enddivisions being provided with sealing-flaps, as herein shown anddescribed.

2. A letter or note sheet envelope arranged to be folded transversely ontwo folding lines, as herein described, and having address, date, andstamp indications on the face of the same, and sealing-flaps on the topand bottom folds, on either or on both, as herein shown and set forth.

3. A letter or note sheet envelope arranged to be folded into threeparts, as described, so as to inclose the communication, while theaddress remains for the outside superscription, and with sealing-flapsextending around the edges of either or both the top and bottom folds ofthe sheet, the said sealing-flaps being separated from the sheet properby a line of perforations, as herein shown and described.

4:. A letter or note sh'eet envelope having sealing-flaps surroundingthe sheet on all sides but the one-third middle portion, substantiallyas herein shown and set forth.

5. A letter or note sheet envelope to be folded into three parts,theupper part of which has sealing-flaps on opposite sides, while the lowerpart has sealing-flaps on three sides thereof, substantially as setforth.

6. A letter or note sheet envelope to be folded like a screen, asdescribed, into three parts, so as to inclose the communication, whilethe address remains for the outside superscription, and the lower partof which has sealing-flaps on two opposite andunder sides thereof,substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscrib in g witnesses.

LEBBEUS H. ROGERS. Witnesses:

M. M. BUDLONG, CHARLES CHAMBERS,

